China's men's basketball team staged an 87-80 comeback against Japan for their first victory; player ratings released: five players perfect, one lowest.

On February 26th Beijing time, a fierce battle in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the Men's Basketball World Cup concluded. China's men's basketball team erupted, overcoming unfavorable away conditions to come from behind and defeat Japan 87-80, securing their first qualifying win. This victory was crucial. Post-game player ratings saw five players receive perfect scores, while one performed the worst!

Facing Japan in this match, we were under immense pressure. Having already been defeated twice by South Korea, a win was essential to gain initiative. However, Japan is currently very strong, boasting NBA players like Yuta Watanabe. Winning was no easy task, especially playing away where the opponent held home-court advantage!

After the game started, China's men's basketball team struggled offensively, missing various shots, allowing Japan to build a 21-11 lead. Japan extended the gap further in the second quarter. In the second half, after Japan's lead reached 15 points, our lineup change proved effective. Following the DNP of Zhang Zhenlin, our game completely opened up. The offense flourished from all angles, and the defense became airtight. A single quarter featured multiple contributors leading to a massive 25-9 run, directly overturning the deficit and taking a two-point lead. In the final quarter, our entire team fought with determination, pulling away in the latter stages. Despite the referees forcefully keeping Japan in the game, we remained unfazed, steadily scoring to suppress the opponent's comeback attempts. Ultimately, we achieved an improbable 5-versus-8 comeback victory against Japan, truly incredible and unexpected!

Let's proceed with player ratings. These five players deserve a perfect 10: Hu Jinqiu, He Xining, Zhu Junlong, Zhao Jiwei, and Liao Sanning. Hu Jinqiu, impactful on both ends with 20 points and 12 rebounds, was the stabilizing pillar. He Xining scored 12 points, playing fearlessly throughout; his two three-pointers ignited China's counterattack, earning him primary credit. Zhao Jiwei, coming off the bench, excelled in playmaking and passing, adding 14 points with a tough performance. Liao Sanning also played tough, contributing 16 points. Zhu Junlock was highly effective defensively, diligently containing Japan's primary threat, Yuta Watanabe!

The worst performer of this game was Zhang Zhenlin. In the first half, he played 8 minutes, failing to score on offense and unable to defend, registering only one foul with all other stats at zero—an extremely poor showing. It can be said Zhang Zhenlin's efficiency was the lowest; giving him the minimum score is not excessive. Let's rate him a 0, hoping he is not included in future lineups!

By / Sports Story